1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device such as an area image sensor (solid-state image sensor) and a large-scale TEG (Test Element Group).
2. Description of the Background Art
FIG. 17 is a conceptual rendering of a conventional semiconductor device (area image sensor), showing a pixel area 1a and part of the area 1a enlarged. The pixel area 1a is formed from a matrix of many pixel patterns 2a.
With recent downsizing of semiconductor devices, the number of pixel patterns 2a in the semiconductor device is greatly increasing to hundreds of thousands to millions. On one side of the pixel area 1a, thousands of pixel patterns 2a are lined. Since the positions of those pixel patterns 2a are directly reflected in images, unlike a memory device that is divided into several memory areas, the pixel patterns 2a must be equally spaced in the pixel area 1a. Accordingly, even if defectiveness due to point or line defects is found in the vicinity of the center of the pixel area 1a by electric characteristic or image evaluation of the pixel area 1a, it is extremely difficult to detect a position of a defect 5a in analysis of the cause of defectiveness.
The same goes for the large-scale TEG. Since uniform wiring patterns 2b are formed in a region 1b of the TEG, as shown in FIG. 18, even if defectiveness is found by the electric characteristic evaluation and a defect 5b is found in the region 1b by using a failure locating technique, it is extremely difficult to detect a position of the defect 5b in analysis of the cause of defectiveness.